MOTHER AND SON CONVICTED OF MURDERING ESTRANGED HUSBAND

On behalf of Marianne Bertuna of Aidala Bertuna & Kamins posted in Violent Crimes on Thursday August 10, 2017.

A New York woman and her son have been convicted on murder charges after they allegedly killed the woman’s estranged husband in the summer of 2016. Prosecutors said that a contentious divorce and custody battle factored into the murder.

Prosecutors said that the 50-year-old man was beaten and strangled in his Penfield home in July 2016. His body was then dumped about 40 miles away. Prosecutors said that the man’s face had been disfigured with acid in an attempt to make his body unidentifiable. The woman was accused of entering the home afterwards to clean it of any evidence. Her two sons were also accused of helping their mother cover up the evidence.

The 46-year-old woman and one of her sons, age 22, were convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with the evidence. The second son, age 19, was convicted of tampering with the evidence but was acquitted of murder. Further, the mother’s boyfriend was also acquitted of murder. They were scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1.

When a person is accused of committing violent crimes, he or she could face a long trial that could result in convictions if the prosecution has evidence to back up the allegations. If a person is convicted on these charges, the potential punishments could include a lengthy prison sentence, fines and a criminal record that effectively prevents the person from living a normal life once the sentence is completed. However, a criminal law attorney could fight the charges if the evidence was not properly collected or handled by the authorities.